Complete guide to image sizes, formats, and aspect ratios for every major social media platform in 2026. Includes Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Pinterest.
Priya Patel·February 19, 2026·14 min read
Why Social Media Image Specs Matter
Every social media platform compresses and resizes images that you upload. If you upload an image that does not match the platform's expected dimensions, it will be cropped, scaled, or recompressed — often with poor results. You lose control over how your image looks to your audience.
By preparing your images at the exact dimensions each platform expects, you achieve three things:
Visual quality: Your images look sharp and professional, not blurry or pixelated
Proper framing: Your composition is preserved — no unexpected cropping cuts off important elements
Consistent branding: Your content looks intentional and polished across every platform
This guide provides the complete, current specifications for every major social media platform in 2026, along with practical conversion workflows for preparing images at scale.
Social media image dimensions overview showing different platform requirements
Instagram remains one of the most image-focused platforms, and getting dimensions right is critical because Instagram heavily recompresses images.
Content Type
Dimensions (px)
Aspect Ratio
Max File Size
Square Post
1080 x 1080
1:1
30 MB
Portrait Post
1080 x 1350
4:5
30 MB
Landscape Post
1080 x 566
1.91:1
30 MB
Story / Reel Cover
1080 x 1920
9:16
30 MB
Profile Picture
320 x 320
1:1
-
Carousel
1080 x 1080 (or 1080 x 1350)
1:1 or 4:5
30 MB per image
Format recommendation: JPEG at quality 95+ or PNG. Instagram converts everything to JPEG internally, but uploading at high quality minimizes the recompression damage. The 4:5 portrait ratio (1080 x 1350) takes up the most screen real estate in the feed, making it the best choice for maximum engagement.
Facebook
Content Type
Dimensions (px)
Aspect Ratio
Notes
Feed Post (shared image)
1200 x 630
1.91:1
Optimal for link shares too
Square Post
1080 x 1080
1:1
Works well in feed
Cover Photo
820 x 312
~2.63:1
Displays at 820x312 on desktop, 640x360 on mobile
Profile Picture
170 x 170
1:1
Uploaded at 170x170 minimum
Event Cover
1920 x 1005
1.91:1
Higher resolution for events
Story
1080 x 1920
9:16
Same as Instagram Stories
Group Cover
1640 x 856
1.91:1
Displays differently on mobile
Format recommendation: JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with text. Facebook's compression is aggressive — upload at maximum quality to preserve as much detail as possible.
Twitter / X
Content Type
Dimensions (px)
Aspect Ratio
Notes
In-stream image (single)
1200 x 675
16:9
Best for timeline display
In-stream image (two images)
700 x 800 each
7:8
Two-image layout
In-stream image (four images)
700 x 800 each
7:8
Four-image grid
Profile Picture
400 x 400
1:1
Displayed as circle
Header/Banner
1500 x 500
3:1
Large horizontal banner
Card Image (summary)
120 x 120
1:1
Small card thumbnail
Card Image (large summary)
600 x 335
~1.79:1
Large link card
Format recommendation: JPEG or PNG (under 5 MB). Twitter supports WebP uploads as well. Images over 5 MB are rejected; GIFs under 15 MB are supported.
LinkedIn
Content Type
Dimensions (px)
Aspect Ratio
Notes
Feed Post (shared image)
1200 x 627
1.91:1
Standard share image
Square Post
1080 x 1080
1:1
Good for infographics
Profile Picture
400 x 400
1:1
Displayed as circle
Cover/Banner
1584 x 396
4:1
Wide banner format
Company Logo
300 x 300
1:1
Square logo
Company Cover
1128 x 191
~5.9:1
Very wide format
Article Cover Image
744 x 400
1.86:1
Published article header
Format recommendation: JPEG or PNG. LinkedIn is relatively gentle with compression. Professional photos and infographics look good at quality 85-90.
TikTok
Content Type
Dimensions (px)
Aspect Ratio
Notes
Video Thumbnail
1080 x 1920
9:16
Cover image for videos
Profile Picture
200 x 200
1:1
Displayed as circle
Slideshow Images
1080 x 1920
9:16
Photo carousel posts
Format recommendation: JPEG or PNG at 9:16 vertical. TikTok is primarily a video platform, but image posts and slideshow carousels are increasingly common. For video specs, see our social media video specs guide.
Pinterest
Content Type
Dimensions (px)
Aspect Ratio
Notes
Standard Pin
1000 x 1500
2:3
Optimal for feeds
Square Pin
1000 x 1000
1:1
Works but less prominent
Long Pin
1000 x 2100
1:2.1
Maximum 1:2.1 ratio
Profile Picture
165 x 165
1:1
Small display size
Board Cover
222 x 150
~1.48:1
Thumbnail crop
Format recommendation: JPEG or PNG. Pinterest favors vertical images — the 2:3 ratio (1000 x 1500) gets the most real estate in the feed. Long pins (up to 1:2.1) can be effective for infographics and step-by-step tutorials.
Pro Tip: The 1080 x 1350 pixel image at 4:5 aspect ratio is the most versatile single size. It works well on Instagram (optimal feed size), Facebook (displays nicely), and can be cropped to landscape or square for other platforms. If you can only create one version of an image, start with 1080 x 1350 and crop variations from there.
Format Recommendations by Platform
Different platforms handle different formats in different ways. Here is a consolidated recommendation:
Platform
Best Format
Avoid
Max File Size
Instagram
JPEG (Q95), PNG for graphics
BMP, TIFF
30 MB
Facebook
JPEG (Q90+), PNG for text-heavy
TIFF, RAW
30 MB
Twitter/X
JPEG, PNG, WebP
BMP, TIFF
5 MB (images)
LinkedIn
JPEG, PNG
HEIC, WebP
10 MB
TikTok
JPEG, PNG
RAW, TIFF
15 MB
Pinterest
JPEG, PNG
BMP, TIFF
20 MB
For converting between formats, use our image converter. For quick conversions to the most common web formats, our JPG converter and PNG converter handle the job efficiently.
Platform-specific image crops showing how the same image appears on different social media feeds
Aspect Ratio Guide
Understanding aspect ratios helps you plan compositions that work across multiple platforms:
Common Aspect Ratios
Ratio
Dimensions Example
Platforms
Use Case
1:1 (square)
1080 x 1080
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Universal, works everywhere
4:5 (portrait)
1080 x 1350
Instagram (optimal), Facebook
Maximum feed real estate
9:16 (vertical)
1080 x 1920
Stories, Reels, TikTok
Full-screen mobile content
16:9 (landscape)
1200 x 675
Twitter, YouTube thumbnails, LinkedIn
Standard widescreen
1.91:1 (wide)
1200 x 628
Facebook links, LinkedIn shares
Link preview cards
2:3 (tall portrait)
1000 x 1500
Pinterest
Pinterest-optimized
3:1 (ultra-wide)
1500 x 500
Twitter header
Banner/header images
Multi-Platform Strategy
If you create content for multiple platforms, design with cropping in mind:
Start with the largest canvas — 1080 x 1920 (9:16) captures the most vertical space
Keep critical content centered — leave margins of at least 15% on all sides for safe cropping
Export platform-specific crops from the master image:
Center crop to 1:1 for square posts
Center crop to 4:5 for Instagram portrait
Center crop to 16:9 for Twitter/YouTube
Use the full vertical for Stories/Reels/TikTok
Step-by-Step Conversion Workflow
Single Image, Multiple Platforms
Here is a practical workflow for preparing one image for all major platforms:
Start with a high-resolution source — at least 2000px on the shortest side
Edit and color correct in your photo editor of choice
Create platform-specific exports:
# Using ImageMagick to generate all social media sizes from one source
# Instagram Square (1080x1080) - center crop
convert source.jpg -gravity center -crop 1:1 +repage \
-resize 1080x1080 -quality 95 instagram-square.jpg
# Instagram Portrait (1080x1350)
convert source.jpg -gravity center -crop 4:5 +repage \
-resize 1080x1350 -quality 95 instagram-portrait.jpg
# Facebook/LinkedIn share (1200x630)
convert source.jpg -gravity center -crop 1.91:1 +repage \
-resize 1200x630 -quality 90 facebook-share.jpg
# Twitter (1200x675)
convert source.jpg -gravity center -crop 16:9 +repage \
-resize 1200x675 -quality 90 twitter-post.jpg
# Pinterest (1000x1500)
convert source.jpg -gravity center -crop 2:3 +repage \
-resize 1000x1500 -quality 90 pinterest-pin.jpg
# Story/Reel (1080x1920)
convert source.jpg -gravity center -crop 9:16 +repage \
-resize 1080x1920 -quality 95 story.jpg
Batch Processing for Content Calendars
If you prepare social media content in advance (weekly or monthly batches), automate the process:
#!/bin/bash
# Process all images in a folder for Instagram (4:5 portrait)
INPUT_DIR="./source-images"
OUTPUT_DIR="./instagram-ready"
mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"
for img in "$INPUT_DIR"/*.{jpg,jpeg,png}; do
[ -f "$img" ] || continue
filename=$(basename "$img")
name="${filename%.*}"
convert "$img" \
-gravity center \
-crop 4:5 +repage \
-resize 1080x1350 \
-quality 95 \
-sampling-factor 4:2:0 \
"$OUTPUT_DIR/${name}.jpg"
echo "Processed: ${filename}"
done
Pro Tip: When cropping for social media, always check where the platform will overlay text or UI elements. Instagram places the username and caption at the bottom of feed images, so avoid putting critical content in the bottom 15% of your image. Stories and Reels overlay text at both the top and bottom — keep your subject centered vertically.
Image Compression for Social Media
Why Pre-Compression Matters
Every social media platform recompresses your image after upload. You cannot avoid this. But by uploading a high-quality, properly-sized image, you minimize the damage from the platform's recompression.
Here is the paradox: uploading a moderately compressed JPEG (quality 85) can actually look worse after platform recompression than uploading a high-quality JPEG (quality 95). This is because the platform applies its compression on top of your compression, compounding artifacts. Starting with higher quality gives the platform more to work with.
Recommended Upload Quality by Platform
Platform
Upload Quality
Why
Instagram
JPEG Q95-100, or PNG
Instagram compresses aggressively — start high
Facebook
JPEG Q90+, PNG for graphics
Moderate compression, higher quality helps
Twitter/X
JPEG Q90+, PNG under 5 MB
Keep under size limit, quality 90 minimum
LinkedIn
JPEG Q85-90
Relatively gentle compression
TikTok
JPEG Q90+, PNG
Video-first platform, images recompressed
Pinterest
JPEG Q85-90
Good compression handling
For optimizing images before upload, our image compressor lets you find the right quality/size balance. Use it to reduce file sizes while staying within each platform's limits.
Side-by-side quality comparison of an image before and after social media platform compression
Text on Images: Special Considerations
Images with text overlays (quotes, announcements, infographics) require extra care:
Format Choice for Text
Always use PNG for images with text — especially for Facebook and Twitter. JPEG compression creates visible artifacts around text edges (blocking, smearing, color bleeding) that make text look unprofessional.
PNG preserves text sharpness because its lossless compression does not introduce artifacts. The file will be larger, but the visual quality difference on text-heavy images is dramatic.
Text Readability Tips
Minimum font size: 24pt for mobile readability (remember, most social media is viewed on phones)
High contrast: Dark text on light backgrounds or vice versa, with a semi-transparent overlay if needed
Safe margins: Keep text at least 10% away from all edges to avoid cropping
Limited text: Instagram and Facebook may reduce reach for images with too much text (the old "20% rule" is no longer enforced by Facebook but high-text images still perform worse algorithmically)
Color Space and Profile Considerations
sRGB Is the Standard
All social media platforms display images in sRGB color space. If your images are in a wider color space (Adobe RGB, ProPhoto RGB, Display P3), they may look desaturated or shifted when uploaded.
Always convert to sRGB before uploading:
# Convert from any color space to sRGB
convert input.jpg -profile sRGB.icc output.jpg
# Or strip the profile (browsers/platforms assume sRGB)
convert input.jpg -strip output.jpg
Common Color Issues
Problem
Cause
Fix
Colors look washed out
Adobe RGB image without conversion
Convert to sRGB
Colors look different across platforms
Inconsistent color profiles
Embed sRGB profile
Dark images look too dark
CMYK color space
Convert to RGB/sRGB
Colors shift on mobile vs desktop
Display P3 profile
Convert to sRGB for consistency
Platform-Specific Tips
Instagram
Upload at 1080px wide minimum (wider images are downscaled, narrower images look blurry)
Use 4:5 portrait for maximum feed visibility
Carousel posts: use consistent dimensions across all images in the set
Grid planning: consider how individual posts look together in your profile grid
Facebook
Link share images are automatically cropped to 1.91:1 — design your Open Graph images at 1200 x 630
Cover photos display at different crops on desktop and mobile — test both views
Facebook heavily compresses images over 2048px wide — resize before uploading
Twitter / X
Single images display at 16:9; multiple images display at 7:8
Twitter strips EXIF data including GPS location (good for privacy)
PNGs under 900 pixels wide are not recompressed (useful for pixel-perfect graphics)
Pinterest
Vertical images (2:3 or taller) dramatically outperform square or landscape
Rich, saturated colors tend to perform better on Pinterest
Text overlay images work well for tutorials and recipes
Use high-resolution images (2x the display size) since Pinterest users often zoom in
Tools and Resources
For preparing social media images efficiently:
Image Converter — Convert between formats and resize to exact dimensions
